Apparatus for producing magazines and the like



Feb. 10, 1959 c, s CRAFTS ET AL 2,873,112

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE Filed June 29, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 g Q Mimi as 1/ g Feb. 10, 1959 c. s. CRAFTS ET AL 2,873,112

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE,

Filed June 29, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 R;

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APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE Filed June 29, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 1959 c. s. CRAFTS ET AL 2,873,112

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE Filed June 29, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet s rsl E 65 mm... curt-7T h t Wencb or 60 @MM,%LL-/ UTTORIOEY/ 1959 c. s. CRAFTS ET AL 2,873,112

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE Filed June 29, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 y 37 v 62 G.

Cw r Q-lemcpb YT/Le. hart United States Patent APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE Curtis S. Crafts, 0ak Park, and Henry L. McWhorter,

Riverside, 11]., assignors to Miehle-Goss-Dexter, Incorporated, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application June 29, 1955, Serial No. 518,842

7 Claims. (Cl. 270-12) This invention relates to an improved method and ap paratus for producing magazines, and particularly to a machine for converting printed webs directly into bound magazines. It will be understood that the term magazines" is intended to' embrace all other similar printed products.

In certain respects, the subject matter disclosed in the present application is disclosed and claimed in the copending U. S. application of Henry L. McWhorter, Serial Number 518,857, filed June 29, 1955.

In conventional printing practice, magazines are usually printed on rotary web presses having several press units for printing a number of webs simultaneously. After being printed, several of the webs are brought together and fed in associated relation to a folder, which cuts and folds the webs into signatures and then delivers the signatures to one or more conveyors. Packer boys are usually employed to remove the signatures from the conveyors and to pile the signatures into stacks, which are then carried to the bindery.

In the bindery, the magazines are assembled by depositing the signatures one by one on the conveyor of a saddle stitching machine or some other type of binding machine. This operation may be done either by hand or by means of a feeding mechanism. The assembled signatures are stapled, and the edges of the resulting magazines are trimmed square.

The limitations and disadvantages of the conventional procedures for manufacturing magazines has become increasingly evident, particularly as press speeds have been increased in response to the demand for greater production. Folder difiiculties at high speeds have often limited the usable speeds of the printing presses. Malfunctioning or choking up of the folders has sometimes occurred, with resulting expensive delays and wastage of paper. A large amount of expensive hand labor has been required to stack the signatures after their removal from the press and to perform the subsequent handling operations in the bindery. Moreover, the packer boys have had considerable difiiculty in keeping up with the press at high press speeds. With objectionable frequency, the signatures have been damaged or spoiled in the course of the various handling operations.

Conventional saddle stitched magazines are assembled in the bindery by partially opening the signatures into I-shaped form and then interleaving the signatures with one folded edge within another, or fold within fold. The signatures are usually assembled on a saddle-shaped conveyor of inverted v-shaped forml In order that the signatures may readily be opened and deposited on the saddle, the signatures are usually folded off-center so that one edge will overlap the other to form a bindery lap. The signatures may readily be opened by grasping this lap. However, the provision of this lap reduces the amount of space which may be used for printed matter. Moreover, this bindery lap must be trimmed away to square up the magazine, and a considerable waste of paper results.

In a conventional saddle stitchedmagazine, all of the signatures are equal in length. As a result, the overlapping edges opposite the fold of the untrimmed magagine are shingled rather than square, because of the interleaving of the signatures, fold within fold. The shingled portion must be trimmed away and hence is wasted.

One 'of the principal objects of this invention is to provide an improved method for producing magazines in such a manner as largely to eliminate the many disadvantages and limitations of prior procedures.

A further object is to provide a method for producing magazines by printing and re-winding a plurality of webs, and then converting the re-wound webs directly into bound magazines. 1

A further object is to provide an improved binding machine for converting printed webs directly into bound magazines or the like.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved machine for severing, folding, assembling, and stapling printed signatures so as to produce semi-finished magazines or the like ready for a final trimming operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic elevational view of an illustrative printing press adapted to carry out certain steps in the method of this invention.

Fig; 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a web printed on the press of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevational sectional view of an exemplary binding machine constructed in accordance with the invention and adapted to carry out subsequent steps in the method, the view being taken generally along a line 3-3 in Fig. 5

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the general schemeof operation of the binding machine.

Fig. 5 is a. somewhat diagrammatic plan view of the binding machine.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational section of the binding machine, taken generally along the line 6-6 in Fig. 5, and showing details of a folding unit.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view illustrating a web registering mechanism forming a part of the folding unit. v

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational section through one of the cutting cylinders forming a part of the folding unit.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational section, taken. along the line 9-9 in Fig. 5, and showing a cover folding unit.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational sectional view, similar to Fig. 6, showing details of a cutting and folding mechanism and an associated conveyor.

Figs. 11 and 12 are diagrammatic edgewise views of assembled and bound magazines, as they appear before the final trim, the magazine of Fig. 11 having been produced in a conventional manner, while that of Fig. 12 has been produced in accordance with this invention.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood, however, that there is no intention .to limit the invention to the form disclosed, but it is intended tocover all equivalents, modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the'invention as expressedin the appended claims.

In general, the magazine production method of this invention involves the initial step of printing the various pages of the magazine on a plurality of webs. Preferably, the webs are then rewound, so as to .form pre-printed Web rolls. Aiter'alhof the magazine pages have thus the,signatures-. are folded,'. immediately stacked. in-the proper. order and stapled orotherwisebound.

In the. magazine,production method. of this invention, the printing and.re-winding of the webs may be carried. out by printing presses of the type shown in Fig. 1. Illus-..

trated in this view is a ,web press supplied with a web 21, unwound from a supply roll 22. Plate cylinders 24.

and are provided for printing, theweb on both sides. A printed web, designatedas 26,. is rewound ona roll28. In. itself, thepress 20 maybeof conventionalconstruction.

For a purpose to be. explained :below, it is preferable.

to print two different four-page signature elements 29 and 30 (Fig. 2) alternately on the web 26. This may be done by mounting four plates around each of the plate cylinders 24 and 25. These signature'elements 29 and 30 are ultimately severed at 31, folded at 32, and assembled in the finished magazine as parts of two different signatures.

In accordance with the invention,,novel,means are provided for convertingthe printed. webs 26 directly into bound magazines or the like. This aspect of the invention is illustrated in thedrawings as embodied in a bind ing machine 34 (Figs. 3, Sand 6.), provided with a plurality of folding. units for unwinding cutting and fold:

ing signatures from the printedwebs 26, five such units.

35a.-e being. arranged'side by sidein this instance.

To receive and assemble the signatures from the folding units 35a-e, the binding machine 34 preferably comprises an endless ovalv shaped conveyor 37 having outward and inward legs 37a and 37b threading the folding units inopposite directions. In this instance, the conveyor includes a saddle 38, generally of inverted V-shaped cross section, together with means for moving the signatures along the saddle.

In addition to the five folding units 35ae, a cover folding unit 39 is provided and is positioned at the end of the inward conveyor leg 37b, which movesv to the left as viewed in Fig. 5.

As indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, the first folding unit 35a first deposits a folded signature 40a astride the saddle 38 onthe outward conveyor leg 37a. This signature 40a is carried along the saddle 38 to the second folding unit 35b, which deposits a second folded signature 40b on top of and astride the first signature 40a. In like manner, the folding units 35c-e deposit signatures 40c-e ontop, of the first two signatures 40a and 40b, as the latterare carried along the outward leg 37a of the conveyor 37. On the inward leg 37b, the folding units 35a-e, acting in reverse order, deposit additional signatures 40f-j. At the end of the inward leg 37b, the cover folding unit 39 drops a folded cover 40, fold-up, astride thestack. of assembled signatures. Finally, the stack is carried around the end of the conveyor 37 to the beginning of the outward leg 37a. and is stapled through the fold by a stapling mechanism 42,.which may be of conventional construction. The resulting magazines are removed from the conveyor by suitable automatic means, not shown, or by hand. The means whereby the signatures are thus folded and assembled will now be described in detail.

Each of the folding units 35a,.-e'is provided with a cutting and folding mechanism 43 (Figs. 3, 5 and 6) and one or more-roll stands, 44 adapted to feed the printed web 26 to the folding mechanism .43, four such stands 44 being shown for the unit 35a in Fig. 3. Each of the. roll stands 44 preferably includes upper and lower roll supports 45 andv 46. for holdingtwo of the pre-printed web rolls 28, one for immediate use. andthe otherin reserve. Oneof the printed .webs,.26.is. drawnfrom. one roll 28 oneach roll stand44 and is threaded .over suitable guide rollers or bars 48. All four of the webs 26 from the respective stands 44 are then led in associated relationship, between a pair of nip rollers 49 and 50, embodied in the folding mechanism 43.

In order to maintain the four associated webs 26 in registration with each other andin step with the folding mechanism, each folding unit 35a-e is provided with suitable registrationcontrol mechanisms 51, one for each roll stand 44. A portion of each registration mechanism 51 is mounted on. the roll stand..44 while another portion is associated with the folding mechanism 43. In the present instance, the registration control mechanisms 51 are constructed in accordance with the Curtis S. Crafts Patent No. 2,522,479, assigned tothe assignee of the present application, to which patent reference may be had for a detailed description. Another suitable construction for the mechanisms 51 is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,521,691, to RobertC. Cor1ett,which patent is also assigned. to, the same .assigneer,

Briefly, each of, the registration, control mechanisms, 51' includes a laterally movable. compensator roller.52. at. the foldingmechanism ,43 (Figs. 6 and -7) around which.

a loop of the web 26 is trained, together with, a web pulling in-feed roller .54 driven by a variable speeddrive of the,P. I. V. or infinitely variabletype and located at the roll stand 44. A tension regulating roller 53 just above the in-feed roller 54.on the stand 44maintains the desired. web tension even though the web 28 should be out of round. Two reversiblemotors 56 and 58 are provided,' one to adjust theJateral positionof the roller 52, and the other to adjust the ratio .or speed of the in-feed roller drive 55; Themotor 56 is controlled by suitable means such ,as photocells 59, which are located on the folder mechanism ,43 and which detect whether or not the web 26 is registered'with the folding mechanism 43 by comparingthe fphase" of marks on the web 26 and a rotating folder mechanism part. This operation is more fully explained in the above-mentioned Crafts patent, 2,522,479. In thisinstance, the motor 58 is controlled'by a pair of limit switches and 61, operable by the compensator roller 52 as it approaches the opposite ends of its lateral range of travel.

If the web 26 is lagging behind the folding mechanism 43 for any reason, the motor 56 is started in response to signals from the photocells 59 soas to move the ,compensator roller 52 in a direction to provide a corrective shortening of the web'path as explained in the Crafts patent. On the other hand, a tendency for the web to lead causes movement of the roller 52in the opposite direction so as to lengthen the web path.

Cumulative error in the web registration is corrected by cumulative movement of the compensator roller 52 continuing until one of the limit switches 60 and 61 is operated. The latter cause the motor 58 to run in one direction or the other so that the speed of the in-feed roller 54 is gradually decreased, if the web is leading, or increased if the web is lagging. The resultingspeed-up or slow-down of the web in-feed rate soon has an overcorrective effect, so that the photocells 59 reverse the direction of movement of the compensator roller 52. In this way, the roller 52is withdrawn. from the limit switch so that the motor 58 is stopped. Thereafter, the speed of the in-feed roller 54 remains constant at its new value until the compensator roller,52 again encounters one of the limit switches 60 or 61. Ordinarily, the compensator. roller 52 tends to oscillate slowly between its limit positions; always seeking a condition of perfect registration between the web 26 and the folding mechanism 43.

To cut the'associated webs 26 into signatures, each folding mechanism 43 is provided with a pair of cutting cylinders 62and 63, each having a cutting knife 64 and a cutting abutment 65disposed approximately.diametri cally opposite eachother. Each cutting knife 64 co operateswith the cutting abutment .65 on the other cut-. ting cylinder, so that the associated vwebs- 26. will be cut To take and control the severed leading edge of the,

webs 26 after each cutting operation, each of the cutting cylinders 62 and 63 is provided with a setof impaling pins 66 mounted on the cylinder in closely trailing relation to the cutting knife 64. It will be understood that the impaling pins 66 on the two cutting cylinders 62 and 63 alternate in carrying the leading edges of the webs 26, first to the left and then to the right, part way around the respective cylinders 62 and 63.

-To 'fold the signatures, each of the cutting cylinders 62 and 63 isprovided with a tucking or folding blade .67 which trails the cutting knife 64 by approximately 90 degrees. The folding mechanism 43 also includes a pair of folding cylinders 68 and 69. For the purpose of grasping the leading edges ofthe webs 26, each folding cylinder 68 and 69 is provided with a set of grippers 70 which are arranged to take the leading edge of the webs 26 from the impaling pins 66 on the cutting cylinders 62 and 63 when those pins are approximately 90 degrees from the cutting point. Thus, the leading edges of the associated webs 26 are advanced approximately 90 degrees by the impaling pins 66, which in well-known fashion, withdraw at this point, and are then grasped by the grippers 70 and advanced part-way around the corresponding folding cylinder 68 or 69. a

To cooperate with each folding blade 67, each'of the folding cylinders 68 and 69-is provided with a'set of folding jaws 71 spaced approximately 90 degrees behind leading edges of the webs have been advanced approximately 90 degrees around the folding cylinder 68 or 69.

At this point in the cycle, the trailing portions of the associated webs 26 are severed to form a signature, and, immediately thereafter, the signature is tucked at approximately its midpoint into the opened folding jaws 71 by the folding blade 67. The jaws'immediately close and fold the signature grippers. i

To deposit each signature on the saddle 38 of'the conveyor 37, each set of folding jaws 71 is timed to open and release the signature afterthe lattcrhas advanced approximately 90 degrees while held in the fold ing jaws. At this time the trailing edge of the signature will be emerging from the space between the cutting and folding cylinders. The grippers 70 are timed to open and release the signature in advance of this point. Because of centrifugal action, the signature will fly off the folding cylinder 68 or 69 in a direction generally tangent to the folding cylinder. It will be observed from Fig. 6 that the outward and inward legs 37a and 37b of the conveyor 37 are located outwardly and'downwardly from the respective folding cylinders 68 and 69, in the paths of the flying signatures. Thus, the trailing which is then held by jaws and edge of each signature will swing over the top of the conveyor saddle 38 so that the signature will come to rest astride the saddle with its opposite severed edges on opposite sides of the saddle and with the folded. edge of the signature uppermost. In order to push the signatures onto the saddle 38 with further impetus, a nozzle 78 may be positioned adjacent each of the folding cylinders 68 and 69 to direct timed air blasts upon the signatures as they fly from the folding cylinder to the conveyor saddle 38. I

i To carry the signatures along theinverted V-shaped saddle 38, the conveyor 37 is provided with a plurality of pushers 80 extending upwardly through a longitudinal slot 81 formed in the apex of the saddle 38. In this instance, the pushers 80 are advanced by means of an endless chain 82 which is threaded around the conveyor 37 beneath the saddle 38. As shown, the chain 82 and all of the folding units 35a-e and 39 are geared to a com- 6 mon drive shaft 83 so that the movement of the pushers will be synchronized with the depositing of the signatures on the saddle 38. After being dropped on the saddle 38, the signatures are picked up by the pushers,

80 and carried forward along the conveyor 37.

In the case of the cover folder 39, the construction is modified somewhat to allow for the fact that this folding unit deposits only one kind of signature, and only on the inward leg 37b of the conveyor 37. Thus, the cover folding unit 39 (Fig. 9) comprises only one of the roll stands 44, which is adapted to supply a single one of the webs 26 to a folding mechanism 90. A registration control mechanism 51 is embodied in the cover folding unit 39 to maintain the web 26 in step with the folding mechanism 90. The web 26 is threaded through the registrat-ion control mechanism 51 and then between the nip rollers 49 and50. To cut the cover web 26 into signatures, the folding mechanism is provided with a pair of cutting cylinders 91 and 92. Mounted on the cutting cylinder 92 is a pair of cutting knives 93 closely trailed by impaling pins 94. To cooperate with the knives 93, the cutting cylinder 91 is provided with a pair of cutting abutments 95. It will beunderstood that before each signature is cut from the web 26 by the knives 93, it is carried part way around the cutting cylinder 92 by the impaling pins 94.

To fold the signatures, the cutting cylinder 92 is provided with a pair of folding blades 96 spaced approximately 90 degrees behind the respective cutting knives 93. A folding cylinder 97 is disposed adjacent and below the cutting cylinder 92 and is provided with two sets of grippers 98 adapted to take the severed leading edge of the web 26 from the impaling pins .94 and carry the web part-way around the folding cylinder 97. It will be observed that the two sets of grippers 98 are disposed at diametrically opposite points on the folding cylinder 97. Trailing approximately 90 degrees behind each set of grippers 98 is a set of folding jaws 99. Immediately after the signatures have been severed from the web 26, the folding blades 96, acting alternately, are operative to tuck the signatures into the folding jaws 99. After being folded, the signatures are carried approximately 90 degrees by grippers 98 and the folding jaws 99, and are then released so that they will fly onto the saddle 38, in the manner described in connection with the signature folding mechanism 43. A nozzle 100 may be provided to direct timed air blasts against the flying signatures so as to insure accurate positioning of the signatures onto the saddle 38.

It is to be understood that the cover folder mechanism 39 isdriven at one-half the speed of the other signature folding mechanisms 35a-e. They contribute two signatures to each magazine, one to the outward leg 37a and one to the inward leg 37b of the conveyor system. Because only one cover signature is used for each magazine, the cover folder mechanism 39 may run at half speed to place one signature in each magazine, ontop of the other assembled signatures as they leave the inward conveyor leg 37b.

As already indicated above, the binding machine is capable of assembling the cover 40 and ten signatures 40a-j, five signatures being deposited on the outward leg 37a of the conveyor system, while the remaining five signatures and the cover are deposited on the inward leg 37b. Thus, signature 40a is dropped on the outward leg 37a of conveyor 37 by one side of folding unit 3511, and shortly thereafter is picked up by one of the pushers 80 and carried forward along the saddle 38. In like manner, the second, third, fourth, and fifth signatures 40b-e are stacked successively over the first signature 40a by the second, third, fourth, and fifth folding units 35b-e. After the stack has been carried around to the inward leg 37b of the conveyonthe sixth through the tenth signatures 40f-j are added successively by the five folding units 35rz-e. acting in reverse order. At the end of the inward aerauz:

leg 37b, the cover signature 40 is added to the stack-by the cover folding unit 39, wh'ereupon'the completed stack rs carriedaround .to the beginning of the outward fle'g 37a where -it is stapled or stitched by thestapling mechanism 42 and removed from the conveyor system.

In conventional practice, the signatures for a saddle stitched magazine are usually folded off center to provide a protruding bindery-lap 105 (Fig. 11), so thatthe signatures may readily be opened or spread out, by hand or by a suitable feeding mechanism, and then assembled on a saddle stitching machine. Ordinarily, a portion of the bindery lap also constitutes an impaling pin lapportion 106, whichis perforated by the irnpaling pins used in the folding mechanism; The remainder of the bindery lap 105may be termeda supplemental binderylap 107.

Conventionalsaddlestitched magazines or the like are produced by assembling a plurality :of signatures of equal length. Since the outer signatures must be wrapped around the others, a shingle 108'(Fig. 11) is formedat' For a 164 page magazine about .225 ofan inchtthick,

having-a four-page cover and ten 16 page signatures, the impaling pin portion may be about .218 of an inch and the supplemental bindary lapabout .156 of an inch in width, making a total bindery lap of about .374 of an inch, The total width of the shingle maybe about .180 of an inch. Thus, trimming away all of these items involves a considerable waste of paper.

By means of this invention, thenewly folded signatures are assembled directly into magazines,.without any intermediate handling operations. bindery lap may be eliminated, as such, althoughthe impaling pin portion. 106 is retained in the presentinstance (Fig. 12). Thus, the supplemental bindery lap 107 is saved rather than wasted. Moreover, theelimination of any need for the bindery lap provides an incentive for developing folders without. any impaling pins. With such folders, it would be possible to eliminatethe impaling pin allowance. Heretofore, no saving in paperwould have resulted from eliminating the impaling pins, inasmuch as the impaling pin allowance has formeda part of the bindery lap, which was wasted in any'case.

In the manner disclosed and claimed in the copending' application of- Henry L. McWhorter, Serial No. 518,357, filed June 29, 1955, the illustrative binding machine, disclosed in the present. applicationis arranged to eliminate the shingle 108 (Fig. 11') 'so.that the edges of the finished magazine will come out square, even before the final trimming operation. To this end, the cutting knives 64 on the cutting cylinders 62 and 63 of the folding mecha-' nisms 43are arranged so as to :be adjustable circumferentially on the cutting cylinders. In this instance, each of the cutting knives 64 is mounted in a T-shaped'block or bar 110 which is positioned in a T-slot 111 extending longitudinally in the cutting cylinder. To permitcircumferential adjustment of the knife 64, the T-slot 111 is made wider than the bar 110. Screws 112 are provided for adjusting the bar 110 in the slot 111 (Fig. 8).

The shingle 108 may be eliminated by adjusting the cutting knives 64 so that the alternate pagesignaturcs are cut, one slightly longer. and the other slightly shorter than the average length. In this way the aggregate length of the successive signatures is kept constant so that the printing may be done with constant cyclic length.

More specifically, the cutting knives 64 in the first folding unit a may be adjusted to cut a shortened first or innermost signature a and a lengthened outermost signature 40 The shorteningfof the first signature is equal to the lengtheningof the last signature, and each amounts to about half of the total length of the shingle. Prefer ably, the two cutting knives 64 on the respective cutting In consequence, the

cylinders 62 and 63are shifted equal amounts in opposites directions from their-normal positions, to obtain the desired-"diiference in the lengths of the signatures.=-- Inthis way, the folds will be positioned properly, relative:

3 to the cutting points. In like manner, each of the other in-length from the average length may best be illustratedby the following table, giving approximate figures for a particular magazine which may be about .225 of an inch thickjand may be madeup from ten signatures, each of sixteen pages, as well as a four-page ,cover.

Deviation Pages in the in Length Signature Number Magazine from Average, inches.

'#1(Im1ermost) (40a). 7582and8390 -.090 #10 (Outermost) (40 3-10 and 155-162. +.o #201012) c744 and 91-9s. 070

11-18 and 147-154.- 59-86 and 99-106". .050

19-26 and 139-146" 050 51-58 and 107-114.- 030 27-34 and 131-138.- 030 43-50 and -122.. 010 35-42 and 123-130 010 The cover 40 is printed and cut to a cyclic length slightly greater than that of the outermost signature.

The necessity'for hand labor is drastically reduced with. the method and apparatus of. this invention. A great deal less labor'is required to transfer the re-wound, printed web rolls from the press to the binding machine, than: to stack, transfer, and unstack the loose signatures as is' the present practice.

It will. be apparent that the binding machine of thisv invention may be operated at a small fraction of the speed of thepress, inasmuchv as the-binding machine utilizes; a large number of webs simultaneously. Bythus. reducing the operating speed, folder difiiculties are virtually eliminated. Moreover, the speed of the presses may be greatly increased when they are not encumbered: with complicated folding mechanisms.

We claim as our invention:

1. In amachine for producing magazines or thelikeof the type'comprising a plurality of signatures folded one within another, the combination comprising means for supplying a plurality of printed webs, a plurality of folders for receiving the webs and cutting and folding signatures therefrom, an elongated saddle of inverted V-shaped cross-section extending in an outbound leg tov each of said folders in successive order and returningin an inbound leg to said folders in reverse order, each of said folders having means for depositing the signatures partly unfolded astride said outbound and inbound legs of said-conveyor alternately, means for carrying saidv signatures along said saddle in timed relation to the op: eration of said folders so that each of the successive signatures will be deposited astride its predecessors to form: assembled magazines, and means along said saddle for binding the assembled magazines along the fold.

2. In a machine for producing magazines or the like of the type comprising a plurality of signatures folded one within another, the combination comprising means for supplying a plurality of printed Webs, a plurality of folders for receiving the webs, an elongated saddle'of inverted V-shaped cross-section extending in an outbound leg to each of said folders in successive order and re.- turning in an inbound leg to said folders in reverseorder,

each of said folders having a pair of cutting cylindersfor cutting signatures from the web and a pair of folding cylinders for taking and folding alternate signatures and depositing the signatures alternately astride said outbound and inbound legs of said saddle, means for carrying the signatures along said saddle in timed relation to the operation of said folders so that each of the successive signatures will be deposited astride its predecessors to form assembled magazines, and means along said saddle for binding the assembled magazines along the fold.

3. In a machine for producing magazines or the like of the type comprising a plurality of signatures folded one within another, the combination comprising a plurality of folders, each having a plurality of roll stands for sup porting pre-printed web rolls, means for supplying preprinted webs from said stands to said folders in associated and registered relation, each of said folders having means for cutting and folding signatures from the associated webs, an elongated saddle of inverted V-shaped cross-section extending in an outbound leg to each of said folders in successive order and returning in an inbound leg to said folders in reverse order, each of said folders having means for depositing the signatures partly unfolded astride said outbound and inbound legs of said conveyor alternately, means for carrying the signatures along said saddle in timed relation to the operation of said folders so that each of the successive signatures will be deposited astride its predecessors to form assembled magazines, and means along the saddle for binding the assembled magazines along the fold.

4. In a machine for producing magazines or the like of the type comprising a plurality of signatures folded one within another, the combination comprising means for supplying a plurality of printed webs, a plurality of folders for receiving the webs, each of said folders having a pair of cutting cylinders for cutting signatures from the web, a folding cylinder having means for taking the leading severed edges of the signatures from one of said cutting cylinders and folding jaws for folding the signatures, said one of said cutting cylinders having means for tucking the signatures into said folding jaws, an elongated saddle of inverted V-shaped cross-section extending alongside said folding cylinder for receiving the signatures from said folding jaws thereon, the trailing severed edges of the signatures being swung over said saddle so that the signatures are deposited astride the saddle, means for carrying the signatures along said saddle in timed relation to the operation of said folders so that each of the successive signatures will be deposted astride its predecessors to form assembled magazines, and means along said saddle for binding the assembled magazines along the fold.

5. In a machine for producing magazines or the like of the type comprising a plurality of folded signatures arranged fold-within-fold, the combination comprising, a plurality of folders, each of said folders having a plurality of roll stands for supporting pre-printed web rolls consisting of printed rerolled webs, two signature elements being printed alternately on each of said webs, means for feeding the webs directly to the folder in as sociated and registered relation, and means for cutting and folding the associated webs into signatures which are alternately longer and shorter than the mean length, the mean length being the same for all of the folders, a saddle of inverted V-shaped cross-section extending in an outward leg to each of the folders in successive order and then returning in an inward leg to each of the folders in reverse order, said folders having respective means for delivering the shorter signatures fold-up to the outbound leg of the saddle at spaced points and the longer signatures fold-up to the inbound leg at spaced points, a conveyor having spaced pusher elements for pushing the signatures along the saddle at such a speed that the successive signatures will be stacked one upon another to form assembled magazines, and means along the saddle for binding the assembled magazines along the fold.

6. In a machine for producing magazines or the like of the type comprising a plurality of signatures folded one within another, the combination comprising means for supplying a plurality of printed webs, a plurality of folders for receiving the webs, each of said folders having a pair of cutting cylinders for cutting signatures from the web, each of said cylinders having means for taking the leading severed edges of alternate signatures, first and second folding cylinders adjacent the respective cutting cylinders, said folding cylinders having means for taking the leading edges of the signatures from the cutting cylinders and folding jaws for folding the signatures, said cutting cylinders having means for tucking said signatures into said folding jaws, an elongated saddle of inverted V-shaped cross-section extending in an outbound leg alongside said first folding cylinders of all of said folders and in an inbound leg alongside the second folding cylinders of the folders for receiving the signatures from the folding jaws on the folding cylinders, the trailing severed edges of the signatures being swung over the saddle by centrifugal action so that the signatures will be deposited astride the saddle, means for carrying the signatures along the saddle in timed relation to the operation of the folders so that each of the successive signatures will be deposited astride its predecessors to form assembled magazines, and means along the saddle for binding the assembled magazines along the fold.

7. In a machine for producing magazines or the like of the type comprising a plurality of signatures folded one within another, the combination comprising means for supplying a plurality of printed webs, a plurality of folders for receiving the webs, each of said folders having a pair of cutting cylinders for cutting signatures from the web, each of said cylinders having means for taking the leading severed edges of alternate signatures, first and second folding cylinders adjacent the respective cutting cylinders, said folding cylinders having means for taking the leading edges of the signatures from said cutting cylinders and folding jaws for folding the signatures, said cutting cylinders having means for tucking said signatures into said folding jaws, an elongated saddle of inverted V-shaped cross-section extending in an outbound leg alongside said first folding cylinder of all of said folders and in an inbound leg alongside said second folding cylinders of said folders for receiving the signatures from said folding jaws on said folding cylinders, the trailing severed edges of the signatures being swung over said saddle by centrifugal action so that the signatures will be deposited astride said saddle, means for directing air blasts against the trailing severed edges of the signatures to supplement said centrifugal action, means for carrying the signatures along said saddle in timed relation to the operation of said folders so that each of the successive signatures will be deposited astride its predecessors to form assembled magazines, and means along said saddle for binding the assembled magazines along the fold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 785,935 Cottrell Mar. 28, 1905 1,067,470 Cottrell July 15, 1913 1,163,374 Scott Dec. 7, 1915 1,177,525 Kast Mar. 28, 1915 2,324,834 Gurwick July 20, 1943 2,389,066 Leifer NOV. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,297 France May 25, 1921 363,712 Germany Nov. 13, 1922 

